The Smathers Libraries Employee Excellence Awards Program recognizes individual or group accomplishments in five categories: Behind the Scenes, Innovation, Instruction and Training, Outreach, and Customer Service. Awards are presented annually at the Smathers Libraries Convocation and include a certificate of distinction and $250. Group winners will receive $350 as a group, and the awarded funds can be split between group members or used to celebrate the accomplishment (e.g., party, lunch, equipment/software purchase).
All non-student, non-OPS George A. Smathers Libraries employees are eligible. Library Deans and the Employee Recognition Committee members cannot be nominated as individuals, but are eligible as part of a group/team. If nominated, they may not participate in the review/selection process for the award.
The Dean of University Libraries and Associate Deans will determine recipients for the awards.
Submitting a Nomination
Nominations are currently open: Thursday, May 1, 2025, to Monday, July 28 at 5 PM. To make a nomination, please complete the online nomination form.
You may nominate an individual or a group. For a group, please include the names of the group/team members in the nomination box.
The award criteria under each category will give you some ideas about what to highlight about your nominee.
You will receive a submission confirmation and an email that your nomination is recorded. If you do not receive this information in 24 hours, please contact the committee chair by email.
Questions may be submitted to the Employee Recognition Committee by e-mailing EmpRecogComm@uflib.ufl.edu.
Award Categories
Behind-the-Scenes Award
The Behind-the-Scenes Award celebrates dedication and performance that improves library service, focused particularly on employees who do the critical work that makes all library operations possible, although they are usually not working directly in the public eye. Criteria for this category may include:
- Accomplishments that make a significant positive impact on a department, the libraries, and/or library users
- Consistent high standards of work upon which others rely
- Keeping library processes and operations running smoothly
Innovation Award
The Innovation Award honors creativity that resulted in innovative methods, projects, products or organizational enhancements to improve library impacts achieved through services, resources, or operations. Criteria for this category may include:
- Supporting campus educational goals in new ways through the libraries
- Creation and successful implementation of new programs, resources, ideas or space that drive innovation and discovery
- Introduction of new workflows or processes that increase efficiencies or enhance outcomes
Instruction and Training Award
The Instruction and Training Award recognizes an instructor or trainer who demonstrated excellence in teaching relevant skills, resources, and/or library-related knowledge to others. Criteria for this category may include:
- Modeling and promotion of high standards in personalized and collaborative Instruction/Mentoring
- Skills that advance awareness of the Libraries’ resources and services and its role to teach and guide
- Sharing of knowledge that significantly advances the performance or career of others
Outreach Award
The Outreach Award honors an individual or group who made an outstanding effort in reaching out to the university or conducted community engagement in a unique or creative way. Criteria for this category may include:
- Leadership in collaboration to help bring the Libraries’ services and collections into teaching and research
- Successful community engagement through outreach activities, programs and/or workshops, especially to underserved or new audiences
- Creatively promoting Library services and collections
Customer Service Award
The Customer Service Award acknowledges five star performance to all library users. While not all library employees work directly with patrons, all staff have the potential to make contributions that positively impact the provision of customer service in the Libraries. Criteria for this category may include:
- Identifying and addressing new opportunities to positively impact the experience of library patrons
- Excellent rapport with customers that promotes positive experiences
- Creating a welcoming atmosphere for all Library users
Nomination Example
Your name:
Benny Blanco
Your email:
blancob@ufl.edu
Your Department/Unit:
SASC
The nomination is for:
An Individual
Name(s) of the Individual/Group nominated:
Selena Gomez
(Optional) If you know the names of all the members of a Group, please give us their names:
N/A
Department/Unit of the nominee(s):
SASC
Award Category (choose one):
Behind-The-Scenes
Please describe in as much detail as you can the nominee’s accomplishment(s), how they have contributed to the Libraries, and any other comments you may have:
Selena discovered a mold outbreak in our stacks caused by a recent leak. She immediately took action, pulling affected items from the area and analyzing the surrounding stacks for any additional damage. As she continued her assessment, she identified other sections impacted by mold and collaborated with all necessary parties to develop a plan of action. Selena kept everyone informed about the issue, providing regular updates on the steps she was taking to monitor the situation. She engaged the team in discussions about next steps to mitigate the problem and coordinated efforts to ensure everyone could contribute to the solution. Throughout the summer, Selena has been pulling, sorting, organizing, and overseeing the pick-up and status of the affected books. While the issue remains ongoing, she has diligently managed the process, ensuring that every step is carefully executed to prevent further spread and protect the collection. These thoughtfully curated resources serve both the UF community and scholars worldwide, and Selena has taken all of this into account when evaluating each item’s condition. She frequently travels to the offsite storage facility, where the affected materials have been relocated, to assess their status and determine whether they can be kept, replaced, or digitized—ensuring that the unique value of the collection remains intact.
(Optional) If the nominee created something online and you want to include it, enter the hyperlink(s) here:
N/A
(Optional) Upload supporting photos or documents:
mold.jpg